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74-592: Marvel Super Hero Island is an area at Universal Orlando 's Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida that is themed after popular Marvel Comics superheroes. The area opened in 1999, ten years prior to Universal competitor the Walt Disney Company 's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The island is home to four attractions, including The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man . Marvel Super Hero Island's architecture and theming

148-842: A Big Hero 6 attraction called " The Happy Ride with Baymax ". Meanwhile, Disney World has taken other measures to promote its Marvel properties within the Resort. At the D23 Expo on July 14–16, 2017, Disney announced that Guardians of the Galaxy : Cosmic Rewind would be coming to Epcot which forced the closure of Ellen's Energy Adventure on August 13. Monorail trains have been wrapped in advertisements promoting films such as The Avengers , Iron Man 3 , and Captain America: Civil War . As these monorail trains feature Marvel characters that are used at Islands of Adventure, they are operated only on

222-787: A Cinemark Theatres and offers varying live music and entertainment options each night. Notably CityWalks's Rising Star (a karaoke club with a live band), Red Coconut Club, and Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom (both a night club and restaurant). Some notable restaurants include the Cowfish, NBC Sports Grill & Brew, Hard Rock Cafe , Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville , Bubba Gump Shrimp Company , Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food, and Bigfire American Fare. Casual dining locations include: Moe's Southwest Grill , BK Whopper Bar , Panda Express , Red Oven Pizza Bakery, and Voodoo Doughnut . The resort features eight official on-site hotels, totaling up to 11,000 rooms. All 11 hotels are located in close proximity to

296-568: A cafeteria with Italian-American cuisine options. Captain America Diner is a restaurant themed around Captain America and other members of the Avengers (e.g., Iron Man , Thor , Scarlet Witch , Ant-Man , etc.) as well as its related villains, featuring typical fast foods like cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, crispy chicken salads, and more. Merchandise items can be bought from

370-504: A Universal Souvenir Cup. For additional costs, visitors could add park-to-park Meal Deal Access allowing them to eat meals in both parks. Universal Meal Deal was replaced on November 3, 2013, with Universal Quick Service Dining Plan. Universal Orlando features a large group of characters varying from Woody Woodpecker to Spider-Man . Visitors have three ways of dining with characters. At Loews Royal Pacific Resort, guests can eat breakfast with Universal Characters on select days. Throughout

444-478: A brake run, while Kingda Ka, built in 2005, adds a 129 ft (39 m) airtime hill before the final brake run. Some hydraulic coaster layouts omit the top hat element altogether. Another manufacturer, Vekoma , began producing hydraulic-launched coasters in 2004 with the opening of Booster Bike at Toverland in the Netherlands , reaching speeds up to 47 mph (76 km/h). Using the same type of system as

518-786: A hydraulic launch, a pneumatic launch uses compressed air to launch the vehicle. The technology was developed by S&S as the Thrust Air 2000 model. The first coaster of this type was the Hypersonic XLC , opened at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, USA in 2001. This coaster closed in 2007. Another incarnation, the Ring Racer was open for only 4 days. Compressed air launches are able to provide more acceleration than traditional pneumatic launches, with Do-Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan having held

592-463: A new park, Universal Islands of Adventure . During this time, several new attractions were being built and opened at Universal Studios Florida, including Woody Woodpecker's KidZone , Men in Black: Alien Attack , and Animal Actors On Location! (formerly Animal Planet Live). Universal's Islands of Adventure opened to the general public on May 28, 1999, featuring six themed islands, including

666-562: A plan to send guests as would-be-reporters to cover the story in the news-gathering vehicle, known as the SCOOP. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is a launched roller coaster themed after comic book superhero character, the Hulk . From 1999 to 2015, guests entered the science laboratory of Dr. Bruce Banner with many televisions showing a cartoon of the story centered around the Hulk. After the Hulk roller coaster

740-617: A segment. LIMs are mainly used in Premier Rides roller coasters and Intamin impulse and blitz coasters. However, LIMs can also be used for general transport, such as the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom or monorail and maglev trains. Hydraulic -launched roller coasters, pioneered by Swiss manufacturer Intamin , give the riders greater acceleration with improved smoothness over

814-525: A shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. A third park, 30-acre (12 ha) water park Universal Volcano Bay , was added in 2017, and a fourth theme park, Universal Epic Universe , is scheduled to open in 2025. The amusement destination was originally dubbed Universal Studios Escape , but the name was short-lived and changed to Universal Orlando Resort in July 2000. Notable additions over

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888-799: A theme park that let visitors "Ride the Movies." The park is composed of themed areas and attractions based on the film industry. Visitors get themed dining and shopping, a variety of special events throughout the year, and may even catch an actual film crew at work on the backlot. The themes of Universal Studios Florida are targeted at making guests feel like they are on a movie set with rides, shows and attractions inspired by popular film, television, and music productions. The park currently consists of nine themed areas – Hollywood, Minion Land on Illumination Ave, Production Central, New York, San Francisco, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield and DreamWorks Land. The second park to open at

962-526: A variety of themed stores including Spider-Man Shop (which guests exits from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride), Marvel Alterniverse Store , Comic Book Shop , and Oakley . "Meet Spider-Man and the Marvel Super Heroes" is a meet-and-greet attraction, where guests can meet superheroes including Wolverine , Storm, Cyclops , and Rogue , Spider-Man, and Captain America. On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company (Universal's largest rival in

1036-405: Is a 1,291-acre (522 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida . Following the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, MCA moved forward with plans to expand from a single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World . In 1999, a second theme park called Universal Islands of Adventure opened in addition to Universal CityWalk ,

1110-468: Is among the six of the original islands in the park. Marvel Super Hero Island currently features four attractions. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a motion-based 3D dark ride , which was considered a huge technological achievement, combining 3-D film , ride movement, and special effects for the very first time. The ride takes place in New York City and features Spider-Man taking on

1184-576: Is being used by Comcast/NBCUniversal) west of the Mississippi River . However, the resort is still bound by the clause of not being able to use the "Marvel" name. Disney parks outside the United States and Japan are permitted to use any Marvel properties, the Marvel name, as well as any type of ride they want. Both Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have opened Marvel attractions since

1258-432: Is broken into two main routes. One provides transportation to all thirty Universal Partner hotels while the newest route began service to Orlando International Airport in 2016. Universal's Super Star Shuttle provides free transportation between Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Aquatica . Airport service is available for a fee to onsite hotel guests booking through Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations. The airport shuttle

1332-522: Is capable of reaching 128 mph (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. The fastest roller coaster in the world, Formula Rossa , reaches 149 mph (240 km/h) in 4 seconds using the hydraulic method. Accelerator Coasters manufactured by Intamin commonly place a top hat element after the launch, which is a hill in the shape of a tower with a 90-degree ascent and 90-degree drop. Trains enter and exit this element in opposite directions. Top Thrill Dragster , built in 2003, includes this element followed by

1406-689: Is flat. Two operating examples of this technique are the Drifter at Sochi Park in the Sochi Olimpic Park and at FunWorks, Abu Dhabi (manufacturer I.E.Park ) In the catapult launch, a dropped weight winds a cable to pull the train until it accelerates to its full speed. Dropped weights were used in early installations of Shuttle Loop . These rides are often not very tall, and usually achieve speeds of 60 mph (96 km/h). Flywheel launches are used on some Anton Schwarzkopf designed shuttle loop coasters and Zamperla Motocoasters . A large flywheel

1480-569: Is included in park admission. Many attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure allow guests to utilize an Express Pass, with availability depending at each attraction. This pass admits guests to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Express Pass is not a virtual queuing service. Instead, passholders may enter the Universal Express line whenever they wish. This pass

1554-400: Is modeled after a Marvel comic book, with a comic book color scheme, amplified angles, and cutouts of many of the most popular Marvel characters. What is today known as Marvel Super Hero Island was originally conceived as "DC Superhero Land", an area featuring DC Comics superheroes, which was inspired by the success of Tim Burton 's 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton . Along with

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1628-413: Is more commonly known, is one of the largest Halloween events in the U.S. From 1991 to 2001, the event was held at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights was moved to Islands of Adventure in 2002, and the 2004 event featured sections of both parks, but the event was moved back to Universal Studios Florida in 2006. The event celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010, its 25th anniversary in 2015, and

1702-430: Is not included with park admission but can be bought for an additional fee. Fees change depending on date. Guests can choose to purchase one of two options: Express Pass, which gives guests access to the express line once per day on each participating attraction, or Express Unlimited Pass, which allows guests to skip the regular lines an unlimited number of times per day at participating attractions. The Universal Meal Deal

1776-430: Is run by Mears Transportation. The Seaworld/Aquatica shuttle is run by ESCOT. 28°28′25″N 81°28′00″W  /  28.47361°N 81.46667°W  / 28.47361; -81.46667 Launched roller coaster Linear induction motor (LIM) and linear synchronous motor (LSM) coasters use propulsion via electromagnets , which utilize large amounts of electricity to propel the coaster train along its track into

1850-406: Is spun at high speeds and is attached to a cable that propels the train forward. Arrow Dynamics' Launched Loop coasters, which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s, use a powerful electric motor and tensioned springs to propel a launch car forward. The launch car pushes the train outward to a drop, and then returns to its position. After the train reaches the opposite platform, another catch car works

1924-535: The Fantastic Beasts franchise, Universal Monsters and Super Nintendo World . It was stated that the project would create 14,000 jobs. Brian Roberts, the CEO of Comcast , called Epic Universe "the largest investment we've ever made in a park". The complex will also include separate resort hotels, dining and retail facilities. In April 2020, NBCUniversal announced the park's opening would be delayed until 2024 due to

1998-490: The COVID-19 pandemic . In July 2020, NBCUniversal announced that they would be pausing development on the new theme park "until the future becomes more certain". In March 2021, work on Epic Universe resumed. Epic Universe is slated to open on May 22, 2025. Universal CityWalk Orlando is an entertainment and retail district which opened on May 28, 1999, over the former parking lot and entrance of Universal Studios as part of

2072-515: The Fantastic Four 's main villain, Doctor Doom . The plot involves Doom's latest invention by using the guests' fear as part of an effort to defeat the Fantastic Four. The guests become a subject of Dr. Doom and traps them so he can have their fear extracted. Storm Force Accelatron is a teacup ride themed after a popular member of X-Men , Storm . It opened on May 28, 2000, a year after

2146-607: The Sinister Syndicate , when it is learned that they seize the Statue of Liberty with an anti-gravity gun and threatens to destroy the statue if the city does not surrender to them. Guests enter through the Daily Bugle with empty offices and apparently all of the reporters have fled in the midst of the carnage. With no reporters left, the Bugle's Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson hatches

2220-524: The 30th anniversary in 2021. The event sometimes features an "icon" that presides over the terror each evening, along with seven to ten haunted houses and numerous unavoidable scare zones. It is a separately ticketed event. Rock the Universe is an annual Christian rock music festival that is located within Universal Studios Florida. It began in 1998 and has been running ever since. The event typically occurs in early September and lasts for two days. In 2019, Rock

2294-532: The Christmas celebrations within Universal Studios Florida. Generally, in February through to April, a parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans ' Mardi Gras party, is held within Universal Studios Florida. The event features merchandise especially for the celebration and is held usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Every event night guests will hear some of Louisiana's bands performing blues and zydeco . It

Marvel Super Hero Island - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-436: The Galaxy , as well as Doctor Strange from Doctor Strange . In 2002, during Halloween Horror Nights 12, Marvel Super Hero Island was converted into a scarezone known as "Island Under Siege", loosely based upon the 14-part comic book story, Maximum Carnage . It featured an alternative plot where Spider-Man's archenemy, Carnage , killed most of the Marvel superheroes and took over the island. Criminal gangs running amok

2442-546: The Marvel Universe area, stop making payments for property usage, or Marvel opts out of the contract providing that it needs a reasonable explanation that Universal is mishandling the usage of their property. Construction of Islands of Adventure began in 1997, with the Marvel Universe area being officially named "Marvel Super Hero Island". Islands of Adventure opened up to soft openings on March 27, 1999, and officially opened two months later on May 28. Marvel Super Hero Island

2516-477: The Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island . The park opened to mediocre attendance, and as a result, several attractions were closed soon after, including Island Skipper Tours . Along with the new theme park, the resort also opened a Florida version of Universal CityWalk from Universal Studios Hollywood . While it is the same concept, CityWalk Orlando

2590-519: The RMC Topper Track Coaster, Lightning Rod, at Dollywood, and B&M's wingrider, Thunderbird, at HolidayWorld. An example of an LSM launched roller coaster is Maverick at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. These launch systems transfer electricity through a motor on the roller coaster's track so that it controls the speed at which it will urge the cars and train either forward or backward on

2664-704: The Resort and Express lines of the Walt Disney World Monorail System , which run entirely outside the theme parks, unlike the Epcot line, which enters and loops through its namesake park. The resort does have a Marvel-themed store, Super Hero Headquarters. However, it is also located outside of park gates in Disney Springs . Marvel characters not connected with the ones at Islands of Adventure also appears at Disney's Hollywood Studios in form of meet and greets, such as Star-Lord and Gamora from Guardians of

2738-556: The Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels offer guests free water taxi or shuttle bus service to the Universal Orlando theme parks. The hotels are sorted into three categories: Signature Collection, Prime Value Hotels, and Value Inn and Suites. On select nights in September through early November, Universal Studios Florida is transformed for the annual Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights . Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN as it

2812-623: The Universe took place in early February for the first time ever. Many Christian rock artists play throughout the event both nights. The resort offers special tickets, packages and church partnerships for that weekend. Select attractions are also open throughout the evenings. Grad Bash and Gradventure are two separate events held in April and May at the parks. Grad Bash is an event for graduating high school senior classes who can gather for an exclusive, all-night party at Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure. This event features live performances by some of

2886-474: The acceleration record from when it opened as Dodonpa in 2001 to its closure in 2024, launching passengers from 0 to 112 mph (180 km/h) in 1.56 seconds (it is now held by Stealth at Thorpe Park , UK). S&S has brought back pneumatic launches in China with OCT Thrust SSC1000 and Bullet Coaster at Happy Valley Wuhan and Happy Valley Shenzhen respectively. Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America marked

2960-416: The accumulators is used to drive a number of hydraulic motors (commonly 16 or 32), which spin a large winch drum that rewinds a cable attached to the lead car of the train, called the catch-car, in a matter of seconds. The cable runs under the launch track , and the catch-car moves along a groove in the track's center. The motor is positioned at the opposite end of the catch-car on the launch track. While

3034-592: The acquisition, including Iron Man Experience and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! at the former and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! at the latter. In 2017, Disney announced plans to erect a series of Marvel Cinematic Universe -themed lands called Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris , with the first one opening in June 2021 at Disney California Adventure. Shanghai Disneyland also have plans to incorporate Marvel attractions, while Tokyo Disneyland opened

Marvel Super Hero Island - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-434: The area's hotels and theme parks. Universal Orlando exceeded three of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in estimated 2021 attendance. After Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990, Universal Entertainment formed a joint venture with The Blackstone Group and began planning a future expansion that would transform the single park into a multi-day destination resort. In late 1995, construction began on

3182-634: The day, characters have meet and greets within the parks and make appearances during lunchtime at several theme park restaurants. During dinner, on select nights, guests can dine with Universal characters at Trattoria del Porto, The Kitchen and Islands Dining Room. The Marvel Super Heroes also appear in the Meet the Marvel Super Heroes attraction where the characters ride on motorcycles down the street of Marvel Super Hero Island. The transit system at Universal Orlando Resort consists of water taxis , buses, escalators, elevators, moving walkways , and pathways; connecting

3256-442: The deal fell through, as Time Warner acquired Six Flags in whole in 1990 and obtained the full license to DC Comics, and due to the heated dispute regarding royalty payment for the characters' park presence between Warner Bros. and MCA. Meanwhile, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. sold off their characters' film rights to several major film studios , including Universal Pictures. MCA then eventually negotiated with Marvel for

3330-439: The electromagnetic and catapult launch mechanisms. The acceleration from a hydraulic launch is greatest at the beginning and dies off rapidly, but the acceleration from a LIM/LSM launch remains fairly constant throughout the duration of the launch. The core of the system involves powerful hydraulic pumps, usually eight, that are each capable of producing approximately 500 horsepower (373 kW). In Kingda Ka 's configuration,

3404-490: The expansion that created the Universal Orlando Resort. Guests arrive at the resort park in one of two multi-story parking structures, then travel via covered moving sidewalks over Universal Boulevard into CityWalk. From there, guests can proceed into one of the theme parks. The Universal Store is its flagship store, offering merchandise from the three parks. CityWalk features shopping, nightclubs, dining venues, and

3478-636: The most popular artists, dance parties with DJs, and pre-parties at the Universal Music Plaza Stage in the Production Central section of Universal Studios Florida. Gradventure is very similar but is designed for graduating middle school students. Both events are sponsored by Coca-Cola . Macy's Holiday Parade brings some authentic balloons that are based on attractions in the parks in a 2 month long event in November and December that highlights

3552-502: The most visited resorts in the world with an annual attendance of 21 million as of 2017. Guests staying at certain hotels receive special perks such as early admission into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal's Volcano Bay, or in some cases, benefits such as a free Universal Express Pass , which gives access to shorter lines at major attractions. The resort also features an organized transportation system, including water taxis , pathways, and moving walkways that connect many of

3626-404: The name was quickly changed to Universal Orlando Resort. In December 2000, Hard Rock Hotel opened as Universal Orlando's second onsite hotel. Despite its name, the hotel is owned by Loews Hotels, like Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and is not affiliated with Hard Rock International . In 2001, Loews Royal Pacific Resort opened. In the midst of all these openings, two parking garages were constructed and

3700-417: The parking structures, hotels, CityWalk, and theme parks. Additionally, strollers, wheelchairs, and electronic convenience vehicles can be rented for a daily fee. There is an organized bus transportation system, shuttling guests between onsite hotels, Universal Partner Hotels, theme parks, airport, and other area attractions. Mears Transportation runs this system. Orlando's LYNX bus system also connects

3774-408: The popular Harry Potter franchise, as well as Skull Island , based on the 2005 King Kong film, are the only islands that were added after the park opened. Hogsmeade opened to the public on June 18, 2010, and Skull Island opened to the public on July 13, 2016. Volcano Bay is the third theme park, a 27-acre water theme park that opened in 2017. It replaced Wet 'n Wild , owned by Universal, as

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3848-590: The popular water park Wet 'n Wild Orlando was acquired. In 2003, rumors began swirling that a Harry Potter themed attraction would be coming to Universal or one of the Disney parks. On May 31, 2007, Universal, in partnership with Warner Bros. , officially announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be built as the seventh of the Islands of Adventure park. The attraction opened on June 18, 2010. Shortly after

3922-460: The property into two hotels that were part of one resort. On August 1, 2019, NBCUniversal announced that it was building a fourth theme park called Universal Epic Universe . It will be located a few miles south of the existing resort, within a larger 750-acre site. There will be five lands including a central hub and four other areas themed to How to Train Your Dragon , Wizarding Paris from

3996-399: The public. The Blackstone Group sold its stake in Universal Orlando in early 2011. As of 2015, Universal Orlando Resort occupies 541 acres (219 ha). As of 2024, Universal Orlando Resort currently occupies 1,291 acres (522 ha) of land with the expansion of Universal Epic Universe . The original theme park in the resort, Universal Studios Florida , opened on June 7, 1990, as

4070-404: The resort to other places in the city. Onsite hotel guests can get to the theme parks and CityWalk by either boarding a water taxi or bus directly to CityWalk, or using walkways. The dock at CityWalk is located at the center of CityWalk and can be accessed via the bridges. Several hotels and a major airport are located within 20 minutes of Universal Orlando. Universal's Super Star Shuttle service

4144-588: The resort was Universal Islands of Adventure , opened on May 28, 1999. It is composed of eight distinct "islands" that are themed to various forms of adventures from literature. Visitors start off in the Port of Entry and make their way through the various islands – Marvel Super Hero Island , Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, the Lost Continent and Seuss Landing. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on

4218-509: The resort's water park. Wet 'n Wild was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld founder George Millay as one of the first major water parks. In 1998, Wet 'n Wild was acquired by Universal Destinations & Experiences , adding it to Universal Orlando. There were eighteen water slides and attractions at the water park. Popular attractions included the Storm, Bomb Bay, Disco H2O, Mach 5, and the Surge. Wet 'n Wild

4292-602: The rest of the Marvel Super Hero Island attractions opened. Riders are made to spin around in order to power the Accelatron, a device that amplify the mutants' abilities, to allow the X-Men, Professor X and Storm, to defeat Magneto . Marvel Super Hero Island is also home to dining and merchandise shops. Cafe 4 is a futuristic command center-like restaurant themed after characters from the Fantastic Four universe, featuring

4366-416: The return of pneumatic launches in the United States. Magnets are placed under the cars and a series of flywheels coupled to aluminum discs is in the launch zone: there is no contact between the two. The system can be used also for speed up intermediate launchers, and for braking, with static aluminum blades, at the end of the ride. Thanks to the energy stored in the flywheels, the power demand for launching

4440-468: The ride elements (e.g. inversions, twists, turns and short drops). Ten design companies managing these types of rides are Vekoma , Intamin , Gerstlauer , Premier Rides , Maurer , Zierer , Mack Rides , Bolliger & Mabillard , Rocky Mountain Construction and S&S Worldwide . Both Rocky Mountain Construction and Bolliger & Mabillard established their first LSM launched coasters recently with

4514-667: The streets, and law and order has been broken down as a result. A haunted house, "Maximum Carnage", was also featured in which guests had to explore through Carnage's hideout containing all his henchmen and the bloody remains of several superheroes. The following list of characters are or may be seen at Marvel Super Hero Island. This includes from actual costume appearances to 2D drawings all around buildings to videos seen at attractions. 28°28′16″N 81°28′18″W  /  28.471140°N 81.471565°W  / 28.471140; -81.471565 Universal Orlando Universal Orlando Resort , often shortened to Universal Orlando ,

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4588-407: The success of Universal Studios Florida 's opening in 1990, MCA Inc. (then-owner of Universal Pictures and Universal Destinations & Experiences ) and Warner Bros. began entering negotiations in the early 1990s for theme park rights to DC Comics for the "second gate" adjacent to Universal Studios Florida, originally known as "Cartoon World" (later changed to Islands of Adventure). Ultimately,

4662-400: The success of the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, rumors began to swirl once again, this time of a second Potter-themed area in Universal Studios Florida. It was announced shortly thereafter that Universal would begin construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, replacing Jaws: The Ride . On July 8, 2014, Diagon Alley officially opened to

4736-481: The superheroes). In addition, Disney is not allowed to use the "Marvel" name in all of the United States, nor create a Marvel-themed simulator ride within the legal designated regional distances of any Universal theme park in the United States regardless of whether the Marvel characters are being used by Comcast/NBCUniversal. The Disneyland Resort is not constrained by the agreement, as the contract allows Disney to utilize any Marvel character (regardless of whether it

4810-413: The system can produce a peak power of up to 20,800 hp (15.5 MW) for each launch. Hydraulic fluid is pumped into several different hydraulic accumulators – energy storing devices – containing two compartments that are separated by a piston . As the incompressible hydraulic fluid is pumped into one compartment, nitrogen in the other compartment is compressed. At launch, the fluid under pressure from

4884-551: The theme park market) agreed to purchase Marvel Entertainment for $ 4 billion. The deal was finalized on December 31, 2009 in which Disney acquired full ownership on the company. Universal stated that the acquisition would not impact its theme park licensing agreement with Marvel, while Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that Disney would continue to honor any contracts that Marvel currently has with Disney competitors. The 1994 agreement between Marvel Entertainment and Comcast / NBCUniversal (Universal's current parent companies) governs

4958-401: The theme park rights to their characters and both companies signed an agreement on March 22, 1994. This contract stipulated that "MCA will construct a complex of attractions, stores and food venues heavily themed around the Marvel properties" under the Marvel Universe banner at the second gate. The agreement remains in perpetuity (aka good faith), or indefinitely, unless Universal decides to close

5032-432: The train inches forward into a ready position, the pusher mechanism moves back from the motor toward the train. Once the pusher connects, the anti-rollback braking system drops beneath the track, giving the train the green light to be launched. The first hydraulic launch coaster was Xcelerator reaching 82 mph (132 km/h) in 2.3 seconds. The world's tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure ,

5106-428: The use of Marvel properties in non-Universal theme parks and dictates what parks in the region can use such properties. Currently, Islands of Adventure uses the Avengers , Spider-Man , X-Men , and the Fantastic Four . The contract forbids Walt Disney World from installing these characters, as well as the other characters in the same "family" (i.e. any team members, side characters, and villains closely associated with

5180-515: The years include Woody Woodpecker's KidZone at Universal Studios, Hard Rock Hotel and The Rising Star karaoke bar within CityWalk, as well as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area, which spans two theme parks and significantly boosted attendance at the entire resort. It also features well-known annual events, such as Universal's Halloween Horror Nights , along with a variety of live entertainment and shows. Universal Orlando ranks as one of

5254-505: Was a ticketed meal plan for park visitors. It allowed visitors of either theme park to eat all day long from lunch through dinner at select restaurants. These included Mel's Drive-In and Louie's Italian Restaurant at Universal Studios Florida and Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous, Comic Strip Cafe, and the Burger Digs at Islands of Adventure . The selection food was limited and drinks were not included. Beverages could be purchased through

5328-401: Was given different venues and design. Universal also opened the resort's first onsite hotel in September 1999. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel (originally Portofino Bay Hotel, a Loews Hotel) was operated and partially owned by Loews Hotels but was also partially owned by Universal and The Blackstone Group . The two theme parks, CityWalk, and the hotel were branded as Universal Studios Escape, however

5402-412: Was located at the intersection of International Drive and Universal Boulevard, about half a mile south of the Universal Orlando parking garage. Wet 'n Wild officially closed on December 31, 2016, due to the opening of Volcano Bay. It was announced on March 21, 2017, that the land once occupied by Wet 'n Wild would be transformed into Universal's seventh hotel. It was later learned that Universal would split

5476-413: Was opened in 2016 as part of the refurbishment, a new, original storyline was added with a completely redesigned queue experience that places guests inside a perilous scientific experiment led by General Thaddeus Ross , which shows CGI animations of test subjects being exposed to gamma radiation and being transformed into Hulk-like creatures. Doctor Doom's Fearfall is a space shot ride based around

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